Calif teen pleads not guilty to girlfriend’s murder; search for her body continues at landfill

Calif teen pleads not guilty in girlfriend’s death

FONTANA, Calif. — A teenager who police say admitted killing his pregnant girlfriend pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder as the search for her body continued at a Southern California landfill.

About 50 people, aided by dogs were scouring the landfill in Rialto on Tuesday for the body of Anyssia Escamilla, 17, of Bloomington, said Fontana police Sgt. Billy Green. If nothing is found there by day’s end, recovery efforts will move to a landfill in Corona, he said.

Escamilla’s 18-year-old boyfriend, Jesus Avitia Jr., was arraigned in San Bernardino County Superior Court in Fontana. His bail was set at $2 million. His next court date was set for June 3.

Escamilla, the mother of a 3-year-old son from another relationship, was reported missing on May 11 when she failed to return home from Bloomington High School.

Green said police interviewed Avitia and he told them he killed her and put her in a trash can near his Fontana home.

“We’re cautiously hopeful,” Green said. “We realize the enormity of the task before us, but we’re going to do everything we can to bring some closure to the family.”

Her body apparently was never seen by trash-truck drivers who use a robotic arm to empty cans. The trash was taken to one of the two dumps.

Avitia was charged Monday with murdering Escamilla and her fetus. She was three months pregnant.

The charges carry a special-circumstance allegation of multiple murder, but prosecutors had not decided whether to seek the death penalty, said Susan Mickey, a spokeswoman for the San Bernardino County district attorney’s office.

Detectives did not know how Escamilla was killed because Avitia gave conflicting statements, Green said.

Investigators also were trying to determine a motive, though Avitia indicated he was unhappy that his girlfriend was carrying his child, Green said.

Escamilla’s family said Avitia’s family didn’t approve of him seeing a girl who already had a child. Her parents said the two had been dating for about a year.